If Minato Had Been Too Late
by ATreeCannotSpeak
Summary: Obito was crushed underneath the rocks, Kakashi was alone and Minato was nowhere to be seen.
1. The Fall

**Disclaimer - I do not own Naruto or any of the characters used in this story.**

* * *

Obito was gone, crushed beneath a pile of rocks, and his Sharingan passed onto Kakashi. The enemy's reinforcements had caught up and Rin and Kakashi were surrounded.

"Rin… I'll detain them. Take the kunai Minato-sensei gave me. When he shows up he will protect you," Kakashi said, "Go now!"

"But…" Rin protested.

"I promised Obito I would protect you with my life!" Kakashi snapped back, " Obito loved you, he gave his life to protect you. I left you behind, I'm nothing but scum. Rin go!"

The reinforcements from the Rock Village had came and Kakashi was determined to hold them off, at least long enough to allow Rin to escape. While she fled into the surrounding woods, Kakashi stood, armed only with Chidori, facing impossible odds. Despite being a prodigy, he lacked the experience that would make up for the difference in numbers.

Kakashi fought, his only thought being to protect Rin. The shinobi from the Rock village soon learned to fight from a distance after half of their number fell to Kakashi's Chidori in close combat. Even knowing he had a disadvantage, Kakashi fought on, taking out enemy after enemy, with fierce determination.

But determination wasn't enough. Exhausted from his use of chakra, Kakashi fell, an enemy kunai protruding from his back. As he lay there dying, he wondered whether Rin would be able make it to safety, and if Minato would be able to rescue her. But his final thoughts were an apology, to Obito.

 _I couldn't protect Rin, and I couldn't show you the future._

* * *

She was alone. she was running, racing through the forest hoping to evade enemy ninja. On missions, she had always had her teammates by her side, even when they had split up, she knew Kakashi and Obito were watching her back. And Minato-sensei had always been there as back-up, should anything go wrong.

She felt guilty. It was all her fault. She knew, as the support member of their team, she was the weakest in terms of combat ability. If she hadn't been captured, she would have been with Kakashi and Obito, attacking Kannabi Bridge. They would have been together.

She was frightened. She knew enemy ninja could show up at any time, and that she would stand no chance against the combat oriented units deployed in the area.

She heard footsteps. They had found her, and were getting closer with each passing moment.

She fell. A single kunai was pierced her thigh.

She waited for death. She knew it was inevitable. But she was wrong. A man appeared, in the flash of yellow that gave him his title. She was saved.

Rin Nohara was alive.

* * *

In the rain, two figures could be seen, standing in front of a large stone, staring at the multitude of names engraved on it. Time seemed to hold no meaning for those two, as they were mourning some of those closest to their hearts.

Minato felt guilty. If he had been there to support his team, rather than foolishly believing that his team could achieve victory in a situation that was so obviously a trap, he could have prevented the deaths of his students. Out of Team 7, the only one remaining was Rin, the glue that had held them together.

Obito, who had believed so strongly in helping others and who had worked so hard just to prove himself, was gone, crushed beneath rocks while trying desperately to protect his teammates. Kakashi, who had worked so hard to follow the rules of the ninja, had sacrificed himself in order to protect Rin. Minato had failed them both, and this was a mistake that could not be fixed.


	2. Rin Possessed

Rin felt useless. Once again she was kidnapped to be used against the village she came from, once again she was too weak to resist. She had heard the plans of her kidnappers, she knew that they intended for her to the the catalyst for the destruction of the Leaf by sealing the three tailed beast inside of her. Rin also knew that she could not allow that to happen. She waited for the inevitable rescue that the ninja from the Mist Village had planned. Rin knew that the enemy ninja would only pretend to let her be rescued, so that the tailed beast inside of her could unleash it's destruction.

* * *

Just as expected, the rescuers burst into the base, quickly picking up Rin before fleeing for the exit. Although she had been expecting the rescue, Rin was still stunned by how quickly the events had transpired. She had just been sitting there, contemplating how best to end her own life, before she had been spirited away by the people she now recognized as her teacher, Minato.

"Wait," Rin pleaded, "You have to listen to me, sensei. The Mist Village. They intend to destroy Leaf. The three-tailed beast was sealed inside of me. It will be released as soon as we reach our village. You need to-"

"Calm down, Rin," Minato said, cutting off Rin's worries, "You seem to be forgetting that I am a master of sealing techniques. As soon as we reach safety, I will attempt to adjust the seal so that you can safely be a jinchuriki without fear of losing control."

* * *

Both of them were silent for the remainder of the journey, as they ran towards familiar territory. Unfortunately, however there were enemies protecting the border who turned to attack the Leaf ninja. Minato wasted no time striking down their enemies utilizing his Flying Thunder God technique.

The remaining foes swiftly retreated to flee certain death, while throwing kunai to cover their retreat. Minato easily dodged them, but Rin wasn't so fortunate, letting out a cry of pain as one of the kunai cut her arm. Minato, momentarily distracted by his student, dropped his guard. Seeing the opportunity, one of the enemy ninja turned, viciously lashing out at Minato with two swords. The man, barely dodged the attack before striking back, an attack that was, surprisingly, blocked by the enemy ninja.

"Heh, heh," the enemy ninja laughed, "I'm surprised you're going to fight, Yellow Flash of the Leaf. Especially since your friend is injured."

Rin, who had been using medical ninjutsu to heal her injury looked at their attacker, "Who are you?" she asked, "Your appearance would point to you being one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, but you are rather young." _And you're a girl_ , Rin had thought, but that part had gone unsaid.

Their enemy only laughed and responded, "You're right. I am one of the Seven Swordsmen. My name is Ameyuri Ringo. I am considered a prodigy in my village. None of my prey has ever escaped. You may be the Yellow Flash, but you will die here!" Ringo said, the last part addressed to Minato.

"It is not I who will die here, but you," Minato responded before attacking Ringo with blinding speed.

Ringo only smirked, barely dodging the attack before striking out at the more vulnerable target Rin, who somehow managed to evade the attack.

Minato, surprised by their enemy's attack on Rin, struck again, the blow parried by Ringo's two swords, "Why are you trying to kill Rin, if your village intended to use her to destroy the Leaf?"

"Because using methods like that is cowardly," Ringo snapped back, sending a lightning technique from her swords, towards Rin again.

This attack connected, heavily burning Rin's left side, but not killing her. Ringo smirked, about to send the killing blow Rin's way, before she was suddenly thrown back. Rin was standing there cloaked in demonic chakra, now possessed by the three-tails. The three tails let out a shriek of fury before attacking Ringo.

Ringo blocked the first attack before fleeing, "Looks like you two were the first to escape me. Someday, however, I will have my revenge!"

With no enemies in sight, Minato alone faced down the three tails possessing his student. He stood ready to defend himself, but it was not necessary. The demonic chakra faded away and Rin crumbled to the ground.

* * *

Obito Uchiha watched from the shadows seeing everything that had happened. For a moment he wondered where Kakashi was before remembering that Kakashi was dead. He watched as Minato ran, after carefully picking up Rin. No. It wasn't Rin anymore. It was the three tailed demon that had taken control of her. Obito's remaining eye was filled with sorrow as he mourned the loss of the one he loved the most.

Suddenly he was filled with rage. _The Mist Village will pay dearly for this._ Obito thought, before turning to leave as his sharingan spun to take a new form. That of the Mangekyo Sharingan.


End file.
